Bad Luck - Reading Vampire Academy
by vampire-lover1998
Summary: Three years after leaving court, Rose receives a letter from Lissa to go back to court for something important. What will happen to Rose? Will she forgive those around her and come back? Will she stay with her current charge in England?
1. Chapter 1 - The Letter

**I do not own the characters (except for Tanya) or the book (parts in bold), Richelle Mead does**

Chapter 1 – the letter

**RPOV**

I just walked into my room and lay down on my bed when my charge, Tanya Conta walked in through the door and handed me a letter.

Tanya handed me the letter wordlessly and sat next to me on the bed. I opened the letter and started to read:

_Dear Rosemarie Hathaway,_

_You have been requested to come to Court by Queen Vasilisa Dragomir to address important matters. You must leave immediately, with clothes as you will be staying for 2-3 weeks. You are expected at Court on the next flight. _

_Kind Regards,_

_Queen Vasilisa Dragomir_

This wasn't surprising, Lissa has been trying to contact me for the first three months after I left, but I ignored her attempts of bringing me back, I've left all that behind and started a new life. What is this about I wonder? Since I left all that behind I've gotten a new charge and a new life. It wasn't perfect but it was what I needed. The only person I've kept in contact with was Adrian. My new charge, Tanya Conta, is a distant cousin of Camille Conta, though they don't seem related. Where Camille is stuck up and snobby, Tanya is nice and caring. I moved to London three years ago when I left my old life, and best friend behind. I was walking around, thinking what I would do with my life, when I met Tanya.

_# # # Flashback # # #_

_I was walking down the street, just thinking about what I would do with my life, I left Court and all of my old life because it was too painful to bear. I still remember what he had said, and the way they had acted. The words still ringing in my head, 'love fades; mine has' it feels like my heart has been ripped from my chest. When he said those words, my whole life shattered, my world came crumbling down. I ran from the church, painful sobs exploding from my chest. Lissa found me later on and screamed at me, telling me that I should have stayed away from him, that I should just leave, that everyone else would be happier if I didn't exist, so I did. I left and came to London to live. I was so caught up in my mental battle that I didn't realise someone was talking to me. I looked up and was met with a pair of caring, warm turquoise eyes. She was beautiful, Long, blonde hair down to the waist, soft turquoise eyes framed with the thickest black lashes. I realised that I had stopped walking and she was talking to me still. _

"_Excuse me, are you alright?" She asked me with a soft voice._

"_Yeah, just a little off my game today, I guess."_

"_Well, I notice you're a dhampir. Am I correct?"_

"_Yes, that's right," I was curious as to what she wanted with me._

"_Have you got a charge?" she asked me softly._

_I shook my head at her. "No, I left, resigned from my last charge."_

"_Well, I have a proposition for you. How about you come with me and become one of my guardians? I can tell just from looking at you that you are experienced at what you do." She was being so kind. I couldn't turn down her offer. So I nodded and went with her back to her home. She was kind to me, and I told her what had happened at Court with Lissa and Dimitri. She sat quietly and listened to what I said. She told me she specialised in spirit also. _

_# # # End Flashback # # #_

After that we became great friends and I became her most trusted guardian. I went with her everywhere and gave her my complete loyalty. We became close, and she trusted me to train her newest guardians, there is also another guard, Thomas, we are her two favourite guards, though Thomas isn't one of the brightest ones, he's still a great fighter. So, me and Tanya were sitting on my bed, she was just watching what my reaction would be, to get some sort of hint on what could be in the letter.

"Well? What is it about Rose?" Tanya was dying to know, and quite frankly, so was I. Since we met I have slowly gotten over Dimitri but I still wasn't over him completely, it has been hard but with Tanya's help I have been slowly improving, around everyone else I am in full guardian mode, never showing them my emotion, the only person that I show emotion to is Tanya, and she understands this. Well, this is the new me, wonder what everyone will think of the new me. This reminds me of one night, a few months ago.

_# # # Flashback # # #_

_Tanya and I were sitting on her bed, just talking, when Thomas ran into the room. He started talking in a rush about something and I didn't understand a word of it._

"_Thomas! Slow down and tell us what's happened." I said in a stern voice but on the inside I was panicking._

"_Strigoi! They've staked the wards around the house. They've taken out most of the guards!" He said a bit slower this time but not by much, at least I caught what he said. We jumped up in front of Tanya when I felt the nausea rolling through me, it was faint, but it was there, meaning that the other guardians had gotten rid of most of the strigoi. They burst in the bedroom door, there were four of them, two of them ran at me while the other two ran at Thomas, the first one to leap out at me I staked easily, but the second one got a good swipe at me before I was able to stake her. She swiped me across the face with her nails, leaving a massive wound down my face. I staked her while Thomas was finishing off his last one. We ran out of the room to secure the house, and we got some more wards put up around the house. We got a good look around the house and saw the destruction, strigoi and guardian bodies littered the floor._

"_Well," Thomas stated, "let's get this cleaned up then."_

_# # # End Flashback # # #_

We lost some of our best guardians that day, and I was left with a big, twisted scar running down my face. It ran from just above my right eyebrow, running in a jaggered line, down to the right corner of my mouth. Tanya was able to heal it enough to stop the bleeding, but not to get rid of the scar. So I now have a painful memory of that day. I stood up from where I was sitting on my bed and turned to face Tanya, who was looking at me with curiosity, since I was sitting there not moving a muscle. Just remembering the past, she also knew I did this a lot.

"It's a letter from Court," she sucked in a breath, "from Queen Vasilisa. She wants me on the next flight to Court, apparently I'll be staying for a few weeks, but I don't feel right leaving you here unguarded," I told her, worry clear in my voice.

"Oh Rose," she sighed and softened her voice, "I won't be unguarded. I have hundreds of guardians around here, not to mention Thomas, maybe he could take your shifts while you're gone."

"I don't know, Tanya . . ."

"Rose, this is an order, you will go to Court and get this over and done with." I laughed at her attempt to be scary.

I pretended to be scared of her. "Okay, okay, I'll go just please don't hurt me!" I laughed when she attempted to throw a pillow at my head. After a while we quietened down. "Okay, I'll be leaving in the morning then."

She laughed at my horrified face. "Don't worry, Rose you'll be fine. You're a strong person, you'll be over and done with this in no time. Then back here with me."

"Okay then, I'll pack, night Tanya."

"Goodnight Rose."

With that, she left to go to bed while I packed. I didn't want to do this, I was just starting to get better and move on and now they want me to go back to Court, but I had no choice in the matter. I had to go, plus, I was doing this for Tanya. After I Finished packing, I went to bed; I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. But not long after that I was sucked into a spirit dream. Adrian emerged from behind an apple tree, he looked at me with regret, sadness and a bit of fright.

"Hello, Adrian," even in front of Adrian I didn't drop the guardian mask I wore. I have managed to perfect it over the years. Not even the oldest and most skill full guardians can do it as well as I can. No one can read it. Even though Adrian and I kept in contact, I didn't even show him behind my mask.

"Little Dhampir," he started slowly, "Did you receive the letter?"

"Yes Adrian, I got the letter and yes, I'll be going, Tanya's making me."

Adrian laughed at this. "Well, I'm sorry about this, I really am, but you have to come." His face held a look of deep regret.

"Don't worry about it, Adrian. I'm coming anyway, but don't tell the others, I want to surprise them." I told him, still not dropping my mask in the slightest.

"Okay, I won't by the way, your parents have been told to come by Lissa as well. She won't tell anyone what's happening, not until everyone's here."

"I know she's blocking the bond, but she doesn't really need to, I've been blocking her since I left, anyway, night Adrian."

"Goodnight, Little Dhampir," with that, the dream faded and I was again pulled into dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2 - Leaving

Chapter 2 - leaving

The next morning I woke up early and packed my things in the car, then headed up the stairs to find Tanya and say goodbye. I walked up the stair case, towards her bedroom. I knocked softly on the door and went in; she was still asleep on her bed. She was so peaceful when she slept. Her hair was splayed out over the pillows and her face was relaxed and calm. I went over to her and gently shook her awake. After a tearful goodbye I left. So now here I am, six hours later, the plane landed and I'm now driving toward Court, thinking about how this would turn out. I really didn't want to be here, this place has too many memories and it makes tears come to my eyes just thinking about it. But, I made a promise to Tanya that I would do this. Then I can be back by her side, doing my duty. I arrived at the gates and wound down my window. To my surprise, Mikhail Tanner the guardian on duty, he looked in through the window and cut himself off with whatever he was going to say. He looked at me in surprise.

"Hello, Rose, how have you been?" He asked, he was always polite to people. This didn't surprise me; since he got Sonya Karp back he has been happier. Sonya Karp was a moroi and a teacher at St. Vlad's; she willingly turned strigoi because her element, spirit, was driving her insane. But she has been restored now and is living a happy life with Mikhail.

"Hello Guardian Tanner, I've been well," he could tell I didn't want to talk so he just let me through the gate. I drove up slowly, dreading what was to come. I finally made it to the apartment Queen Vasilisa was living in.

**APOV (Adrian)**

We were all here, Abe, Janine, Dimitri, Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Mia, me, the Belikov's and Alberta. Everyone except Rose. Poor Rose. She didn't want to be here and I don't blame her, she told me what happened and I've been pissed off at Lissa and Dimitri this whole time. She didn't deserve what they did to her, she was 100% dedicated to guarding Lissa and giving all her love to that Cradle Robber but what did they do? They went and treat her like a piece of shit. I've seen what Rose has been like since the start and she's changed. She's no longer the person she used to be. She never shows her emotion, she never laughs, smiles or even yells at anyone except her charge. I've been there, supporting her, since the beginning, but she still doesn't open up to anyone. She never even told me how she got that scar on her face. It's clearly noticeable. But she's still beautiful even with it. I looked over at Lissa, she looked nervous and Cradle Robber looked excited. Why was he excited? I nearly blew up at him for it. He said those mean things to Rose and now, here he is, like it never happened.

"When will she get here?" asked Lissa in a small voice. Christian put an arm around her to comfort her.

"I don't know, but there are some things that I should probably tell you guys about her first." They all looked at me when I said this clearly wanting to know what's been happening with her. Cradle Robber was sitting there smiling and nearly bouncing in his seat in anticipation for Rose's arrival. So I thought I'd be a bit mean.

"Rose hasn't been herself since what happened. She doesn't show emotion to anyone, she never opens up to anyone, never speaks whenever it's not needed. She never let's anyone touch her, never lets them close, never lets them into her heart. You guys," I looked in Lissa and Dimitri's direction. Dimitri and Lissa never told Rose's parents why she left, I just realised, so I would. "Crushed her. You crushed her spirit when you said those things to her. She does nothing other than guard. Nothing." That wiped the smirk off the bastards face. "She's changed so much and there have been some certain things that have happened to her while she has been guarding, but she hasn't told me any of them. She keeps to herself. She has not only changed emotionally, but physically as well." Lissa looked on the verge of tears and Cradle Robber looked regretful.

"Wait, why did Rose leave?" Asked Abe, "You never did tell us. What was the reason?" He now knew that it had something to do with Lissa and Dimitri and he was growing angrier by the second.

Lissa looked terrified as she spoke, "U-um, w-well I s-s-said some th-things t-too-o h-h-he-er t-that weren't very nice." Abe raised an eyebrow and Janine looked pissed. "I went to her room after I saw her leave the chapel, I knew she was talking to Dimitri and I went to her room and yelled at her that she should've left him alone and that it was her fault he's like this and that she should leave us all alone so we can get on with our lives and that we were happier without her." Now Janine and Abe were pissed. Everyone looked at Lissa surprised by what they had heard since they had never heard the reasons either. I was the only one who knew because she told me when I visited her dreams one night.

Abe and Janine then turned to Dimitri, "what was your reason?" Janine was trying to control herself. Everyone was appalled at what Lissa said, well then they should hear the rest.

"The church," Cradle Robber started, "Rose walked in and sat with me, wanting to know why I pushed her away and why I gave Lissa all the credit for bringing me back. I was mean to her," everyone sucked in a breath other than me and Lissa, we knew already. "I told her that love fades and that mine has," everyone gasped. Abe and Janine were ready to lose it along with the Belikov's. "Then she ran from the church and I took no notice. I was so mean to her since I was brought back. I refused to see her, refused to acknowledge that she was the one who did the hard work to bring me back. I completely ignored her."

Cradle Robber Finished, everyone was looking at Lissa and Dimitri in disappointment, they were both looking at the ground, not making eye contact with anyone. Olena stood up and walked over to stand in front of Dimitri, she was shaking with rage. She slapped Dimitri so hard that it left a fiery red hand print on his left cheek. She then walked over and stood in front of Lissa, who was sitting there, with a terrified look on her face. She looked up at Olena and then Olena started yelling at her, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! SHE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND AND YOU GO TREAT HER LIKE SHIT! SHE GAVE UP HER FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS FOR YOU, SO SHE COULD GUARD YOU SO YOU WERE SAFE! SHE GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR YOU AND YOU GO AND TREAT HER LIKE SHES NOTHING MORE THAN A PIECE OF SHIT, HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO MY DAUGHTER! HAVE YOU NO SHAME! YOU ARE THE MOST UNGREATFUL MOROI I HAVE EVER MET!" With that she went to sit back down with the rest of her family. Everyone sat there with their jaws hanging to the floor at what she had just done and said, of all the time I have known Olena, she has been kind and caring and never sworn at anyone or even raised her voice. I looked over at Dimitri and he looked like he was thinking along the same lines as me. Then the rest of the Belikov's each slapped him once on the same cheek and had a good yell at Lissa since they can't hit a moroi let alone the Queen. While Janine and Abe were having their turn someone knocked on the door. They were all so busy with the yelling that they didn't notice, so I got up and opened it, and there stood Rose in all her glory. She was more beautiful in person.

"Rose . . ."

**RPOV **

I walked up to the door and knocked, seeing as I can't turn back and go home, as much as I wanted to. The door opened and there stood Adrian. I had my guardian mask firmly put in place and I wasn't going to remove it anytime soon.

"Rose," Adrian started, he swung the door open wider and I could hear Mum and Dad yelling at someone. I walked into the apartment and he shut the door behind me. I walked to the door of what I'm guessing is the living room I stood in the door way, leaning on it with my arms folded over my chest and my guardian mask on. No one took any notice of me they were too busy yelling. Adrian walked past me into the room and stood there for a second. Then he started yelling.

"HEY! Will you all shut up please?!" They all turned to look at him. "Thank you, anyway, Rose is here." They all then turned to the doorway and looked at me, some people gasped when they saw the scar on my face but others were just sitting there looking at me. Then Lissa blurted out, "how did you get that scar, Rose?" I turned to look at her, "that," I said coldly, "is none of your business." She visibly flinched at my tone. I walked in and sat in the corner of the room, farthest away from everyone, not saying a word to anyone. They all watched me for a second then Lissa started talking. "Anyway, I got a box full of books and a letter from someone with the initials RM," Lissa said, "I don't know the name and I don't know why seeing as I didn't want to open the box to look at the books, but the note said to invite you all here and read them with you."

Some people were unsure, me among them. "What are the books called?" Asked Eddie, I have missed him, he's like a brother to me.

"Um, okay, the first one is called," Lissa pulled all the books out of the box and then looked through the note. "The first one is called Vampire Academy, then Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice." Wow. That's a lot of books. But the faster we can read these books then the faster I get back to Tanya and Thomas. I worried constantly about leaving him alone to guard her because he wasn't the brightest dhampir out there and one slip from him will cost her, her life.

"Well, start reading then," said no other than Abe Mazur. He and my mother gave me a small, sad smile before looking at Vasilisa. It was only then that I noticed that the Belikov's were here, all of them. My eyes met with Viktoria's, she gave me an apologetic look obviously sorry for what happened in Russia with Roland. I gave her a small smile, showing her that it was okay.

"Okay," Karolina said, "who wants to read first?"

That was when Christian piped up, "I will." He took the book from Vasilisa and started to read.


	3. Chapter 3

"**Chapter One," **

**I felt her fear before I heard her screams.**

My mother gasped, "Rose, this is in your point of view." Everyone turned their head to me to see what I would say but again, I said nothing.

**Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had something to do with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me.**

Everyone laughed. "Oh Little dhampir, who was the guy?" I shrugged.

**Images-hers, not mine- tumbled through my mind: fire and blood, the smell of smoke, the twisted metal of a car.**

Lissa flinched and Christian placed a comforting arm around her while she received some sympathetic looks from people, some were just glaring at her still, what the hell?

**The pictures wrapped around me, suffocating me, **

Now they all gave her sympathetic looks.

**Until some rational part of my brain **

"Since when are you rational, Rose?" Asked Christian.

**Reminded me that it wasn't **_**my **_**dream. I woke up, strands of long, dark hair sticking to my forehead.**

This was the first time I noticed Dimitri. He sat there, just staring at my hair, looking like he wanted to run his fingers through it. Well, good luck there, try to touch me and I'll bite his fingers off.

**Lissa lay in her bed, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, quickly crossing the few feet that separated us. "Liss," I said, shaking her. "Liss, wake up."**

**Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. "Andre," she moaned. "Oh God."**

Again with the sympathetic looks.

**I helped her sit up. "Liss, you aren't there anymore. Wake up." **

**After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and in the dim lighting, I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over. Her frantic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair.**

Everyone turned in my direction.

"Rosie has a soft side?" Christian asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

Everyone held their breath when he called me Rosie. But they relaxed when Eddie spoke up. "She does, I've seen it a few times, one time when we were little, I came down with chicken pox and Rose stayed with me and took care of me until I was better." Everyone looked at him in disbelief.

"**It's okay," I told her gently. "Everything's okay."**

"**I had that dream."**

"**Yeah. I know."**

**We sat like that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down, I leaned over to the nightstand in between our beds and turned on the lamp. It glowed dimly, but neither of us really needed much to see by. Attracted by the light, our housemate's cat, Oscar, leaped up onto the sill of the open window. He gave me a wide berth – animals don't like dhampirs, for whatever reason – but jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didn't have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular. **

"Who wouldn't like Lissa?" Asked Christian. Adrian, Mum and Dad all gave him a knowing look and he shut up when realisation hit.

**Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.**

"**When did we last do a feeding?" I asked,**

Both my parents tensed at this

"It was for survival," Eddie said.

**Studying her face. Her fair sin was paler that usual. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and there was an air of frailty about her. School had been hectic this week, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd given her blood.**

"**It's been like . . . more than two days, hasn't it? Three? Why didn't you say anything?"**

**She shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "You were busy. I didn't want to—"**

"**Screw that," I said, shifting into a better position. No wonder she seemed so weak. Oscar, not wanting me any closer, leapt down and returned to the window, where he could watch at a safe distance.**

"**Come on. Let's do this."**

"**Rose—"**

"**Come **_**on**_**. It'll make you feel better."**

**I tilted my head and tossed my hair back, baring my neck. I saw her hesitate but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful. A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans. Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features. With her pretty face and pale blond hair, she looked more like and angel than a vampire.**

Lissa smiled at me and I gave her a small smile back, hoping she wouldn't notice, but she did and her face brightened.

**As her teeth neared my bare skin, I felt my heart race with a mix of fear and anticipation. I always hated feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help, a weakness I couldn't shake. **

**Her fags bit into me, hard, and I cried out at the brief flare of pain. Then it faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden joy that spread through my body, it was better than any of the times I'd been drunk or high.**

My parents shot me disapproving looks, then turned back to Christian.

**Better than sex—or so I had imagined, since I'd never done it.**

"What!" Asked all the former students of St. Vladimir's, except Lissa.

"I'm not a slut, you know." They all looked shocked that I'd spoken for the first time since I sat down, but shook it off and continued reading.

**It was a blanket of pure, refined pleasure, wrapping me up and promising everything would be right in the world. On and on it went. The chemicals in her saliva triggered an endorphin rush, and I lost track of the world, lost track of who I was.**

**Then, regretfully, it was over. It had taken less than a minute. She pulled back, wiping her hand across her lips as she studied me. "You okay?"**

"**I . . . yeah." I lay back on the bed, dizzy from the blood loss. "I just need to sleep it off. I'm fine."**

**Her pale, jade-green eyes watched me with concern. She stood up. "I'm going to get you something to eat."**

**My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she left before I could get out a sentence. The buzz from her bite had lessened as soon as she broke the connection, but some of it still lingered in my veins. Turning my head, I glanced up at Oscar, still sitting in the window.**

"**You don't know what you're missing," I told him.**

"Okay, little dhampir you've officially lost it," Adrian told me.

**His attention was on something outside. Hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His tail started twitching. My smile faded, and I forced myself to sit up.**

"Of course you would," Olena said.

**The world spun,**

"The world always spins, kiz," said Abe.

**And I waited for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I managed it, the dizziness set in again and this time refused to leave. Still, I felt okay enough to stumble to the window and peer out with Oscar. He eyed me**

"What a sick cat," piped in Christian.

**Warily, scooted over a little, and then returned to whatever had held his attention. A warm breeze—unseasonable warm for Portland fall—played with my hair as I leaned out. The street was dark and relatively quiet. It was three in the morning, just about the only time a college campus settled down, at least somewhat. The house in which we'd rented a room for the past eight months sat on a residential street with old, mismatched houses. Across the road, a street light flickered, nearly ready to burn out. It still cast enough light for me to make out the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes. **

**And a man watching me.**

Olena, Sonya, Karolina and Viktoria gasped, but Yeva just sat there with a knowing look.

**I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard, about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window. He was close enough that I could've thrown something and hit him.**

"Trust you to think that, Rose," laughed Abe.

**He was certainly close enough that he could've seen what Lissa and I had just done. The shadows covered him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldn't make out any of his features, save for his height. He was tall. Really tall.**

"No, he was an oompa-loompa," Christian stated sarcastically.

**He stood there for just a moment, barely discernible, and then stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard. I was pretty sure I saw someone else move nearby and join him before the blackness swallowed both of them. Whoever these figures were, Oscar didn't like them. Not counting me, he usually got along with most people, growing upset only when someone posed immediate danger. The guy outside hadn't done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge.**

**Something similar to what he always sensed in me.**

"So you only knew he was there, because the cat sensed him?" asked Mum.

I just gave one stiff nod.

She gave me a disappointed look and turned back to the book. I turned to my father and said,  
"bilirsin, ben o saçma, bu beni daha fazla inancım var isterdim." (you know, i wish that she would have more faith in me than this, its ridiculous.)

Everyone turned to look at me in shock, yes, while in England, I had learned how to speak turkish. Even my father was a bit taken aback.

"Kızım üzülme, o yok. o sadece sizin güvenliğiniz için endişeleniyor. o görünmüyor olsa o, bir sürü için umurunda," (don't worry daughter, she does. she's only worried about your safety. she cares for you a lot, though she doesn't show it.) Dad replied.

I nodded once and turned back to the book.

"So the cat gave you away?" Asked non other than Christian.

Adrian tured to him, "what were we just talking about Christian?"

Christian just rolled his eyes.

**Icy fear raced through me, almost–but not quite–eradicating** **the lovely bliss of Lissa's bite.**

Mum cringed; Dad turned and put his arm around her.

**Backing up from the window, I jerked in a pair of jeans that I found on the floor, nearly falling over in the process. Once they were on, I grabbed my coat and Lissa's, along with our wallets. Shoving my feet into the first shoes I saw, I headed out the door.**

**Downstairs, I found her in the cramped kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator.**

"We had absolutely no food in there because Jeremy was too lazy to shop," recalled Lissa.

**One of our housemates, Jeremy, sat at the table, hand on his forehead as he stared sadly at a calculus book.**

"What was he still doing awake?" Viktoria asked.

"He forgot to study the weekend for his upcoming test so that night he had to study the whole night to pass." Explained Lissa.

**Lissa regarded me with surprise.**

"**You shouldn't be up."**

"**We have to go. Now."**

**Her eyes widened, and then a moment later, understanding clicked in. "Are you…really? Are you sure?"**

**I nodded. I couldn't explain how I knew for sure. I just did. **

"You shouldn't have had that conversation in front of a human, he would have gotten curious," and of course, that would be my mother making yet another un-needed comment. I resisted the urge to punch her in the face and recalled what my father had told me. Maybe he was right, on some level.

**Jeremy watched us curiously. "What's wrong?"**

"And there you go." Dear God, does she ever shut up? Stupid question, of course she doesn't. Screw what my father told me.

**An idea came to mind. "Liss, get his car keys."**

**He looked back and forth between us. "What are you-"**

**Lissa unhesitatingly walked over to him. Her fear poured into me through our psychic bond, but there was something else too: her complete faith that I would take care of everything, the we would be safe. Like always, I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust.**

"You always will be Rose, you know that," Lissa told me with a small, sad smile on her lips.

The only response from me was a nod.

**She smiled broadly and gazed directly into his eyes. For a moment, Jeremy just stared, still confused, and then I saw the thrall seize him. His eyes glazed over, and he regarded her adoringly.**

"Compulsion?!" Screamed Mum.

"Janine, they did what was thought necessary. If I was in their position, I would have done the same," Olena explained.

She stiffly nodded, still not liking the fact we used compulsion on a human.

"**We need to borrow your car," she said in a gentle voice. "Where are your keys?"**

**He smiled, and I shivered. I had a high resistance to compulsion, but I could still feel its effects when it was directed at another person. That, and I'd been taught my entire life that using it was wrong. Reaching into his pocket, Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanging on a large red key chain.**

"**Thank you," said Lissa. "And where is it parked?"**

"**Down the street," he said dreamily. "At the corner. By Brown." Four blocks away.**

"**Thank you," she repeated, backing up. "As soon as we leave, I want you to go back to studying. Forget you ever saw us tonight."**

**He nodded obligingly. I got the impression he would have walked off a cliff for her right there if she'd asked. All humans were susceptible to compulsion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most. That came in handy right now.**

"**Come on," I told her. "We've got to move."**

**We stepped outside, heading toward the corner he'd named. I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted. Lissa had to catch hold of me a couple of times to stop me from falling. All the time, that anxiety rushed into me from her mind. I tried my best to ignore it; I had my own fears to deal with.**

"What were they, Rose?" Karolina asked me. Seeing that I wasn't going to answer, they dropped it and continued reading.

"**Rose…what are we going to do if they catch us?" she whispered.**

"**They won't," I said fiercely. "I won't let them."**

"**But if they've found us-"**

"**They found us before. They didn't catch us then. We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail."**

**I made it sound simple.**

**I always did, even though there was nothing simple about being on the run from the people we'd grown up with. We'd been doing it for two years, hiding wherever we could and just trying to finish high school. Our senior year had just started, and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom.**

**She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more. This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened–sometimes recklessly so.**

**She was the more responsible one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting.**

**Both styles had their uses, but at the moment, recklessness was called for. We didn't have time to hesitate. Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to spell **_**Vasilisa Dragomir**_** and **_**Rosemarie Hathaway **_**was beyond cruel, and we'd–or rather **_**I'd**_**–responded appropriately. I'd chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard.**

"I remember that day, you should have heard the teacher, swearing up a storm, she was," said Eddie, laughing.

**I hadn't known what those words meant, but I'd known how to hit a moving target. Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since.**

"**Do you hear that?" she asked suddenly.**

**It took me a few seconds to pick up on what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced. We had two more blacks to go.**

"**We've got to run for it," I said, catching hold of her arm.**

"**But you can't-"**

"_**Run**_**."**

**It took every ounce of my willpower not to pass out on the sidewalk.**

**My body didn't want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching and clung to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete. Normally, I could have outrun her without any effort–particularly since she was barefoot– but tonight, she was all that held me upright.**

**The pursuing footsteps grew louder, closer. Black starts danced before my eyes. Ahead of us, I could make out Jeremy's green Honda. Oh God, if we could just make it–**

**Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path.**

**We can to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm. It was **_**him**_**, the guy I'd seen across the street watching me. He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, as tall as I'd figured, probably six-six or six-seven. And under different circumstances–say, when he wasn't holding up our desperate escape–I would have thought he was hot. **

Everybody laughed at that, even I did.

**Shoulder-length brown hair, tied back in a short ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat–a duster, I thought it was called.**

**But his hotness was irrelevant now.**

**He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up. Off to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. They'd sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldn't believe it. The queen herself didn't travel with that many. **

**Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning, I acted out of instinct. I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader. **"**Leave her alone," I growled. "Don't touch her."**

**His face was unreadable, but he held out his hands in what was supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate.**

"**I'm not going to-"**

**He took a step forward. Too close.** **I attacked him, leaping out in an offensive manoeuvre I hadn't used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away. The move was stupid, another reaction born of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished his training. He also wasn't weak and on the verge of passing out.**

**And man, was he fast. I'd forgotten how fast guardians could be, how they could move and strike like cobras. He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards. I didn't think he meant to strike that hard–probably just intended to keep me away– but my lack to coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A **_**lot.**_

Everybody winced at that but said nothing.

**Only it didn't. **

**Just as quickly as he'd blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. When I'd steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me–or, more precisely, at my neck. Still disoriented, I didn't get it right away. Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin. Embarrassed, I shook my hair so that It fell forward around my face. My hair was thick and long and completely covered my neck. I'd grown it out for precisely this reason. The guy's dark eyes lingered on the now-covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold. He let me go, though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he'd wanted. **

Dimitri and his family smiled at that while I flinched, and Mum and Dad glared holes through Dimitri's head.

**Fighting the nauseating dizziness, I back toward Lissa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught hold on mine, "Rose," she said quietly. "Don't."**

**Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind, coming across the bond. It wasn't exactly compulsion–she wouldn't use that on me- but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed. Even I knew struggling would be pointless. The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat.**

**Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprised me considering his height.**

"**My name is Dimitri Belikov," he said. I could hear a faint Russian accent. **"**I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess." **

"No, you were gonna take them to Fairyland," Adrian stated sarcastically. Everybody laughed while I smiled at him and he winked and smiled back.

"Well, that's the end of chapter 1, who wants to read next?" Sonya asked.

"I will," volunteered Lissa. Christian handed the book to Lissa and she started.


	4. Chapter 4

"**Chapter Two**."

**My hatred notwithstanding,**

"Hatred?" asked Dimitri. I just gave him a glare that reminded him why I hated him and he caught on, wincing.

**I had to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever was pretty smart.**

He smiled at this but remained silent.

**After they'd carted us off to the airport to and onto the Academy's private jet,**

"We had to hire the damn thing just to be able to use it though," muttered Alberta. It was true; all the jets at the Academy are used by so many people they have made the guardians start to hire them just to be able to use them.

**He'd taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated.**

"**Don't let them talk to each other," he warned that guardian who escorted me to the back of the plane. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."**

**I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle. Never mind the fact that we **_**had**_** been planning escape. **

"Bad form, Rose," said Eddie

**As it was, things didn't look good for our heroes–or heroines, rather. Once we were in the air, our odds of escape dropped further. Even supposing a miracle occurred and I did manage to take out all ten guardians, we'd sort of have a problem in getting off the plane. I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere, but in the unlikely event I'd be able to operate one, there was still that little issue of survival, seeing as we'd probably land somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.**

**No, we weren't getting off this plane until it landed in backwoods Montana.**

**I'd have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the Academy's magical wards and ten times as many guardians.**

**Yeah. No problem. **

**Although Lissa sat in front with the Russian guy, her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. My concern cut into my fury. They couldn't take her back **_**there**_**, not to that place. I wondered if Dimitri might have hesitated if he could feel what I did and if he knew what I knew. Probably not. He didn't care.**

Dimitri opened his mouth to reply but closed it quickly when Yeva shot him a warning glare. That surprised me. Yeva and I had never really had the best relationship, we generally stayed away from each other but now, here she was, sticking up for me. When she caught my staring, she gave me a small, sad smile.

**As it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment, I had the disorienting sensation of sitting in her seat–in her **_**skin**_** even it happened sometimes, and without much warning, she'd pull me right into her head. Dimitri's tall frame sat beside me, and my hand–**_**her**_** hand–gripped a bottle of water. He leaned forward to pick up something, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: **_**molnija**_** marks.**

"Uh-oh," muttered Christian. Everyone looked at Christian, waiting for a explanation.

"What?" Lissa asked.

"Well, I sense an explanation coming on, why do you do that anyway?" He asked looking directly at me. I shrugged and replied, which shocked everyone, yet again seeing as I haven't said very much since my arrival. "I don't know, maybe for the people who don't know what the surroundings look like? Like The Belikov's?" He just sat there, staring at me as did everyone else. I cleared my throat loudly and Lissa shook herself out of her stare to continue reading.

**They looked like two streaks of jagged lightening crossing in an X symbol. One for each Strigoi he'd killed. Above them was a twisted line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian, the promise mark. Blinking, I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace. I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised. She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn't tell her when it happened. Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled though it as best as we could. Near the end of the flight, Dimitri walked back to where I sat and traded placed with the guardian beside me. I pointedly turning away, staring out the window absentmindedly. Several moments of silence passed. Finally, he said, " Were you really going to attack all of us?"**

**I didn't answer.**

"**Doing that…protecting her like that–it was very brave." He paused. "**_**Stupid**_**, but still brave. Why would you even try it?"**

**I glanced over at him, brushing my hair out of my face so I could look at him levelly in the eye. "Because I'm her guardian."**

"No you weren't, you were a novice if anything. But at the rate your going, you're probably not even that." ranted my mother.

"Wow, you don't stop do you?" I asked incredulously. She stared at me with narrowed eyes. "Why don't you just shut up for once in your life and stop criticizing me for every little thing I do and maybe I won't always hate you, have you ever considered that? You just keep bickering at me about everything I say and do and you wonder why I hate you so much well, here's there's you answer, _mother_." I spat the word mother like it was filth. She sat there, speechless and not knowing what to say to that. Lissa continued reading to ease some tension.

**I turned back toward the window**. **After another moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet.**

**When we landed, Lissa and I had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate, and our driver spoke with guards who verified we weren't Strigoi about to go off on a killing spree. After a minute, hey let us pass through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset–the start of the vampiric day–and the campus lay wrapped in shadows. **

**It probably looked the same, sprawling and gothic. The Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them. This school wasn't as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style. The buildings boosted elaborate, almost churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there. After living on a college campus, I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school. **

**We were on the secondary campus, which was divided into lower and upper schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century-old trees. We were going toward the upper school's quad, which had academic buildings on one side, while dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite. Moroi dorms sat on one of the other ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that also served the lower school. Younger students lived on the primary campus, farther to the west.** **Around all the campuses was space, space and more space. We were in Montana, after all, miles away from any real city.**

**The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves. Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy, and during the day, you could see mountains rising up in the distance. As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke from my guardian and ran up to Dimitri.**

"**Hey, Comrade."**

**He kept walking and wouldn't look at me. "You want to talk now?"**

"**Are you taking us to Kirova?"**

"_**Headmistress**_** Kirova," he corrected. On the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said, **_**Don't start something**_**.**

"**Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit-" my words faded as the guardians lad us through a set of doors–straight into the commons. I sighed. Were these people **_**really**_** so cruel? There had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirova's office, and they were taking us right through the centre of the commons.**

**And it was breakfast time.**

**Novice guardians–dhampirs like me–and Moroi sat together, eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever current gossip held the Academy's attention.**

**When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone had flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swivelled toward us.** **I returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to get a sense as to whether things had changed. Nope. Didn't seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered, still the self-appointed leader of the Academy's royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa's gawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and naïve as before. And on the other side of the room…well, that was interesting. Aaron. Poor, poor Aaron, who's no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever–maybe more so now–with those same golden looks that complement hers so well. His eyes followed her every move. Yes. Definitely not over her. It was sad, really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him. I think she'd gone out with him because it seemed like the expected thing to do. **

**But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apparently found a way to pass the time without her. Beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven **

"Seriously?" Mia Asked, "Do I seriously look eleven to you?"

"Yes," everyone in the room replied.

She huffed and fell back into her seat next to Eddie muttering, "I am not eleven."

**But had to be older, unless he'd become a paedophile during our absence. With plump little cheeks and blond ringlets, she looked like a porcelain doll. A very pissed off and evil porcelain doll. She gripped his hand tightly and shot a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me. What the hell was all that about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend, I guessed. I'd be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that. Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting–Headmistress Kirova's office–didn't really improve things. The old hag looked exactly like I remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim, like most Moroi, and has always reminded me of a vulture.**

All St Vlad's students and guardians were nodding their heads, agreeing that she did, in fact look like a vulture ready to peck your brains out.

**I knew her well because I'd spent a lot of time in her office.**

Viktoria, Karolina and Sonya laughed. "What's so funny?" Dimitri asked them.

Viktoria looked at her older brother while trying to hold in her giggling fit. "When Rose came to stay with us, she told of stories about some of her trips to the principal's office for fights and things she used to get into and she told us about the lectures she gives. They were so funny." Eddie laughed, probably remembering one of the trips I had taken with him and Mason. They were pretty funny.

**Most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school's guardians, and Dimitri stayed. They took up positions along the wall, looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required. Kirova fixed her angry eyes on us and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session. A deep, gentle voice stopped her.**

"**Vasilisa."**

**Startled, I realized there was someone else in the room. I hadn't noticed. Careless for a guardian, even a novice one. With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair. **_**Prince**_** Victor Dashkov. Lissa sprang up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his frail body.**

"**Uncle," she whispered.**

Lissa hissed. "He is no uncle of mine. He is a lowlife bastard." Christian tried to calm her down, I immediately realised it was spirit darkness getting to her so I pulled it out of her and into me, she visibly calmed. Then turned to look at me surprised. "Why did you do that Rose?" She asked me smiling slightly at me. I shrugged and told her, "I've found a way to get the darkness out of me without it making me go insane. So I can take it." I told her and as I was explaining her smile grew twice as big. "Don't get any ideas. I only take the darkness because I can now. I still haven't forgiven you for anything." I said coldly, her smile vanished to be replaced with slightly teary eyes. She turned back to the book to read.

**She sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip.**

**With a small smile, he gently patted her back. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa," He looked toward me. "And you too, Rose." I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was. He'd been sick when we left, but this–this was **_**horrible**_**. He was Natalie's father, only about forty or so, abut he looked twice that age. Pale. Withered. Hands shaking. My heart broke watching him. With all the horrible people in the world, it didn't seem fair that this guy should get a disease that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king. Although not technically her uncle–the Moroi used family terms very loosely, especially the royals–Victor was a close friend of Lissa's family and had gone out of his way to help her after her parents had died. I liked him; he was the first person I was happy to see here. Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat.**

**Time for the lecture.**

**It was a good one–one of Kirova's best, which was saying something. She was a master at them. I swear that was the only reason she'd gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually liking kids.**

**The rant covered the usual topics: responsibility, behaviour, self-centeredness…Bleh. I immediately found myself spacing out, alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping through the window in her office. **

Everybody laughed, and said, "Only you, Rose."

"**You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomir's; **_**you**_** nearly enabled them to do it."**

"**Rose didn't kidnap me." Lissa spoke before I could, her voice and face calm, despite her uneasy feelings. "I wanted to go. Don't blame her."**

**Ms. Kirova **_**tsked**_** at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back. **

"**Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still **_**her**_** responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."**

**I snapped.**

"Knew it," said Eddie.

"**I **_**did**_** do my duty!" I shouted, jumping up from my chair. Dimitri and Alberta both flinched but left me alone since I wasn't trying to hit anyone. Yet. **"**I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of **_**you**_**"–I made a sweeping gesture around the room–"could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to." Though the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send me calming messages, again urging me not to let anger get the best of me. Too late. Kirova stared at me, her face blank. "Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"**

**I bit my lip.**

"**I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left–aside from the novelty of it–was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."**

"**And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible." **

"That's too harsh," said Dad.

Mum Nodded.

**My cockiness dried up. "I…what?"**

**Lissa stood up beside me. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."**

"**She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."**

"**But my parents-"**

"**I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."**

**I started at Kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone?**

"Of course I did," she said, sounding a little bit hurt.

**Or maybe you'll send me off to my **_**father**_**?"**

**Her eyes narrowed at the bite in the last word.**

As did Abe's.

**When I spoke again, my voice was so cold, I barely recognized it.**

"**Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."**

"**Miss Hathaway," she hissed. "You are out of line."**

"As usual," said Alberta with a big smile covering her face.

"**They have a bond." Dimitri's low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned toward him. I think Kirova had forgotten he was there, but I hadn't. His presence was way too powerful to ignore. He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in the ridiculous long coat of his. He looked at me, not Lissa, his dark eyes staring straight through me. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"**

**I at least had the satisfaction of seeing Kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. "No…that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."**

"**It's obvious," he said. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them."**

**Neither Lissa nor I responded, and I averted my eyes from his.**

"**That is a gift," murmured Victor from his corner. "A rare and wonderful thing."**

"**The best guardians always had that bond," added Dimitri. "In the stories."**

**Kirova's outrage returned. "Stories that are centuries old," she exclaimed. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?"**

**He shrugged. "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she had potential-"**

"**Wild and disrespectful?" I interrupted. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?"**

"**Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," said Kirova. "Her **_**sanctioned**_** guardian."**

"**You got cheap foreign labour to protect Lissa?"**

The Belikov's frowned at me. "I must admit that was a little mean, I am sorry for saying that, I didn't mean to offend you."

**That was pretty mean of me to say–particularly since most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian descent–but the comment seemed cleverer at the time than it really was. And it wasn't like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S., but my parents were foreign-born. My dhampir mother was Scottish–red-haired, with a ridiculous accent–**

"My accent is not ridiculous!" she exclaimed.

**and I'd been told my Moroi dad was Turkish. That genetic combination had given me skin the same colour as the inside of an almond, along with what I like to think were semi-exotic desert-princess features: big dark eyes and hair so deep brown that it usually looked black. I wouldn't have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we get.**

**Kirova threw her hand up in exasperation and turned to him. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and **_**very**_** raw potential in the world can't make up for that.**

**A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."**

"**So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again."**

"**Impossible. She'll still be hopelessly behind her peers."**

"**No, I won't," I argued. No one listened to me.**

"**Then give her extra training sessions," he said.**

**They continued on while the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a Ping-Pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease with which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that he might very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay at this hellhole than be without her. Through our bond, I could feel her trickle of hope.**

"**Who's going to put in the extra time?" demanded Kirova. "You?"**

**Dimitri's argument came to an abrupt stop. "Well, that's not what I-"**

**Kirova crossed her arms with satisfaction. "Yes. That's what I thought."**

**Clearly at a loss, he frowned. His eyes flickered toward Lissa and me, and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with big, pleading eyes? Or two runaways who'd broken out of a high-security school and swiped half of Lissa's inheritance?**

"**Yes," he said finally. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."**

"**And then what?" retorted Kirova angrily. "She goes unpunished?"**

"**Find some other way to punish her," answered Dimitri. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."**

**His unspoken words made me shudder, reminding me of my earlier statement about "blood whores." Few dhampir girls became guardians anymore.**

**Victor suddenly spoke up for his corner. "I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent."**

**Ms. Kirova stared out her window. It was completely black outside. With the Academy's nocturnal schedule, **_**morning**_** and **_**afternoon**_** were relative terms. That, and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light.**

**When she turned back around, Lissa met her eyes. "Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."**

Amazingly, Mum kept her mouth shut.

_**Oh, Lissa**_**, I thought. **_**Be careful**_**. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous–particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit, and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realize what was happening.** **I don't even know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally, Kirova sighed.** "**If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She turned to me. "Your continued enrolment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line **_**once**_**, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have–before **_**and**_** after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent…away."**

**I gave a harsh laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" I nodded toward Lissa. "Afraid we'll run away again?" **

"**I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. "You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."**

**I started to say it wasn't generous at all, but then I caught Dimitri's gaze. It has hard to read. He might have been telling me he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova. I didn't know.**

**Looking away from him for the second time during the meeting, I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At long last, I exhaled and glanced back up at the headmistress.**

"**Fine.**

Everyone in the room was silent, waiting to hear the answer. Well, all except me, Lissa, Dimitri and Alberta.

**I accept."**

They all released the breath they were holding in a sigh of relief.

"That's the end of the chapter," said Lissa, "who wants to read next?"

"I will," murmured Eddie taking the book from Lissa's outstretched hand.


	5. Chapter 5

"**Chapter Three**," He said.

**Sending us straight to class after our meeting seemed beyond cruel, but that's exactly what Kirova did. Lissa was led away, and I watched her go, glad the bond would allow me to keep reading her emotional temperature. They actually sent me to one of the guidance counsellors first. He was an ancient Moroi guy, one I remembered from before I'd left. I honestly couldn't believe he was still around. The guy was so freaking old, he should have retired. Or died.**

Everyone laughed.

**The visit took all of five minutes. He said nothing about my return and asked a few questions about what classes I'd taken in Chicago and Portland. He compared those against my old file and hastily scrawled out a new schedule. I took it sullenly and headed out to my first class.**

**1st Period Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques**

**2nd Period Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection 3**

**3rd Period Weight Training and Conditioning**

**4th Period Senior Language Arts (Novices)**

–**Lunch–**

**5th Period Animal Behaviour and Physiology**

**6th Period Pre-calculus**

**7th Period Moroi Culture 4**

**8th Period Slavic Art**

**Ugh. I'd forgotten how long the Academy's school day was. Novices and Moroi took separate classes during the first half of the day, which meant I wouldn't see Lissa until after lunch–if we had any afternoon classes together. Most of them were standard senior classes, so I felt my odds were pretty good. Slavic art struck me as the kind of elective no one signed up for, so hopefully they'd stuck her in there too.**

**Dimitri and Alberta escorted me to the guardians' gym for first period, neither one acknowledging my existence. Walking behind them, I saw how Alberta wore her hair in a short, pixie cut that showed her promise mark and **_**molnija**_** marks. A lot of female guardians did this. It didn't matter so much for me now, since my neck had no tattoos yet, but I didn't want to ever cut my hair.**

Mum frowned, "it's not required." I just said nothing.

**She and Dimitri didn't say anything and walked along almost like it was any other day. When we arrived, the reactions of my peers indicated it was anything but. They were in the middle of setting up when we entered the gym, and just like in the commons, all eyes fell on me. I couldn't decide if I felt like a rock star or a circus freak. All right, then. If I was going to be stuck here for a while, I wasn't going to act afraid of them all anymore. Lissa and I had once held this school's respect and it was time to remind everyone of that. Scanning the staring, open-mouthed novices, I looked for a familiar face. Most of them were guys. **

I tensed, waiting for it. Dad noticed and gave me a worried look which I pretended to ignore.

**One caught my eye, and I could barely hold back my grin. **

"**Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time." **

I stood up abruptly; all eyes were on me now. I turned and walked out of the room so no one should see me tears about to fall. I needed Tanya; she was always there to help me through all the grief of everything. I walked into the allocated room and grabbed my phone out of my bag. I walked over and shut the door, then went to sit on the bed and call Tanya.

"Hello?"

"Tanya," I breathed, my tears falling now.

"Oh honey, what's happened?" Worry laced her voice.

"They're talking about Mason and I can't deal with it, it hurts to think about what happened with him. I know, he told me not to blame myself but I can't help it, he was my brother and I got him killed. I know you're my charge and all but you're my best friend and I need some advice right now." I was quietly sobbing so the other wouldn't hear me.

"When did you last talk to him?" She asked.

"Well, I talked to Ivan Zeklos yesterday but I think it's been about a week since I have talked to Mason."

"It's alright Rose. You can do this, just think of all the happy times you've had with him. Ones that make you smile. Mason would want you to be happy."

I laughed and wiped up my tears. "You know, Ivan can be a pretty annoying ghost sometimes but that's nearly the exact same thing he said."

"Well it'll all be ok. I have to go but try to be happy ok?"

"Ok I will. Thank you Tanya. Bye." I hung up the phone and walked back into the living room. When I got in there everyone immediately stopped talking and faced me…

**Dimitri POV**

Rose got up and walked into her room and I could immediately tell she was going to cry so I got up and followed her to go comfort her. When I got to her room the door was shut so I decided to just wait outside the room until she came back out. I listened to the conversation she was having with someone name Tanya.

"Tanya," she breathed.

There was a reply then Rose was talking again.

"They're talking about Mason and I can't deal with it, it hurts to think about what happened with him. I know, he told me not to blame myself but I can't help it, he was my brother and I got him killed. I know you're my charge and all but you're my best friend and I need some advice right now." Ok, so this Tanya is her charge now. She was quietly sobbing probably so the others wouldn't hear her. Poor Roza.

Another pause, then she laughed quietly. "You know, Ivan can be a pretty annoying ghost sometimes but that's nearly the exact same thing he said." So now she can see ghost's I'll have to ask Lissa about this then. I walked back into the living room to see everyone looking at me curiously. I sat back down the looked at Lissa. "She was talking to her charge, and she said something that stumps me." I told her while everyone listened in with suspicion.

"What was it?" She asked.

"Well she said that she talked to Mason last week and Ivan yesterday and that they were ghosts. Do you know what's going on?" I was worried now, if Roza's seeing ghosts, then that isn't good at all.

"I have no idea what it is, it could be spirit. Maybe we should ask her?" she sounded uncertain. "I don't think we should. I doubt she'll answer us anyway. You were right Adrian," she turned to look at Adrian. "She has changed. And it wasn't for the better either."

"So now you see what you've done to her?" Lissa was about to reply when Rose walks out of her room and come to sit down again. Everyone stares at her and she replies coldly. "Keep reading."

"No, not until you tell us what that was all about."

"What, what was all about?" Asks Rose, her guardian mask firmly in place.

"Your conversation with that Tanya girl. What's happening Rose?" Lissa pleads with Rose to hell her.

"Rosemarie Hathaway. As Queen I order you to tell me what is happening." Lissa commands using all her authority she could.

"It is none of your business so just shut up!" Roza screamed. Lissa looked a bit taken aback, after all, Rose has never screamed at Lissa like this ever. Lissa nodded silently and shrank back in her seat with Christian. Eddie looked back at the book and continued where we left off.

**Rose POV**

They did as told and continued reading, I finally relaxed after replaying Tanya's words over in my head. So I was able to listen now.

**A few snorts and snickers broke the awed silence, and Mason Ashford snapped out of his haze, giving me a lopsided smile. With red hair that stuck up everywhere and a smattering of freckles, he was nice-looking, though not exactly hot. He was also one of the funniest guys I knew. We'd been good friends back in the day.**

"Back in the day? How old are you Rose, like, sixty?" Dad Joked, trying to lighten the tension in the room.

"**This **_**is**_** my time, Hathaway. I'm leading today's session."**

"**Oh yeah?" I retorted. "Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."**

"**It's **_**always**_** a good time to think about you naked," added someone nearby, breaking the tension further. Eddie Castile. Another friend of mine.**

"Aaaaaaand heeeeeres Eddie!" Eddie yelled happily, everyone laughed and even I cracked a smile at that.

**Dimitri shook his head and walked off, muttering something in Russian that didn't sound complimentary. But as for me…well, just like that, I was one of the novices again. They were an easygoing bunch, less focused on pedigree and politics than the Moroi students. The class engulfed me, and I found myself laughing and seeing those I'd nearly forgotten about. Everyone wanted to know where we'd been; apparently Lissa and I had become legends. I couldn't tell them why we'd left, of course, so I offered up a lot of taunts and wouldn't-you-like-to-knows that served just as well.**

**The happy reunion lasted a few more minutes before the adult guardian who oversaw the training came over and scolded Mason for neglecting his duties. Still grinning, he barked out orders to everyone, explaining what exercises to start with. Uneasily, I realized I didn't know most of them. **

"**Come on, Hathaway," he said, taking my arm. "You can be my partner.**

**Let's see what you've been doing all this time."**

**An hour later, he had his answer.**

"**Not practicing, huh?"**

"**Ow," I groaned, momentarily incapable of normal speech.**

**He extended a hand and helped me up from the mat he'd knocked me down on–about fifty times.**

"**I hate you," I told him, rubbing a spot on my thigh that was going to have a wicked bruise tomorrow.**

"Rose, he smashed you!" Exclaimed Eddie.

"**You'd hate me more if I held back."**

"**Yeah, that's true," I agreed, staggering along as the class put the equipment back.**

"**You actually did okay."**

"**What? I just had my ass handed to me."**

"**Well, of course you did. It's been two years. But hey, you're still walking. That's something." He grinned mockingly.**

"**Did I mention I hate you?"**

"Let's stop here for the night," suggested Olena. When everyone agreed we went to our allocated bedrooms and went to sleep

_**# # # #**_

Night passed and the next morning we were all sitting down in the living room again, Eddie was reading again.

**He flashed another smile, which quickly faded to something more series. "Don't take this the wrong way….I mean you really are a scrapper, but there's no way you'll be able to take your trials in the spring-" **

"And you flew through," said Dad smiling at me proudly. Dimitri was about to say something when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and it read Tanya, I walked away from the questioning stares, and out of the apartment with a small smile on my face.

"Hathaway," I answered.

"Rose?" That's not Tanya.

"Thomas, what are you doing on Tanya's phone? Where's Tanya?" I asked him. Worry laced into my words.

"Rose, I'm sorry but there was a strigoi attack on the house, a human staked the wards and there were too many strigoi and not enough of us and, well, she died. I'm so sorry Rose I know you two were close and everything."

Pure rage boiled up in me. "And how did the strigoi get to the wards when _you _organised for guardians to do patrols? You know what? This is your fault!" I was full on screaming now with tears flowing down my cheeks. "You should have had guardians patrolling the grounds and guardians spread through the house. I left _you _in charge while I am gone and you are too _stupid _to follow my instructions!" I screamed at him.

"There's one more thing. She said to stay and finish the task you were give and to not come back until its finished." I grunted and hung up. I slid down the wall and cried for a good five minutes. When I walked back into the apartment where everyone was waiting for me.

**Lissa POV**

We could hear the screaming from the living room but we had no idea what she was talking about and that just made me angrier. She never tells me anything. I deserve to know what is happening with my sister. When she walks back into the living room I get up and start towards her. "Rose I am ordering you to tell me what the hell's going on with you. Who was on the phone? Why were you screaming at them? I started firing off questions at her when she suddenly speaks.

"You don't deserve answers!" she screams at me. I shrink back a bit at the way she screams at me. never have I heard her talk to me like this, it was so frightening watching when she talked to other people like this but now that it's me it's downright terrifying. "Do you know what you've just done?" She snarls at me. Tears falling down her face. "Because of you my charge and sister was just killed and it's your entire fault!" Gasps fill the room. Oh. So that's what she was screaming about. I shrink back even more, felling so bad that her charge just died. It sounds like she loved her so much. "If you hadn't called me here to something so pointless it never would have happened! She would still be alive and I would still be guarding her! So thanks _your highness,_" she sneered, "for killing my sister and ruining my life! I cannot believe this!" She walks around me ad into her allocated me and slams the door. Tears leak from my eyes as Christian come over to me and wraps his arms around me, murmuring comforting words in my ear. He led me back to the couch to sit down. Just when we were about to start reading again, Rose comes out of her room with her bag in hand. I stare at her incredulously.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving," she states coldly.

I start to panic. She can't leave. I have to fix things with her and be her sister again. "You can't leave. I order you to stay here."

She turns to me and walks up to me glaring daggers at me. She gets right in my face and says, "Fuck your orders," another round of gasps go around the room. "You ordered me here with your pussy-ass fucking not and look what fucking happened!" She screamed. With that, she turned and left the apartment. After everyone gets over their shock Adrian gets up and runs after her. We continue to sit there in silence, listening to Rose's screams and Adrian's soothing words. We were about to go on reading until…

**Ooh cliffhanger! Please read and review to let me know what you think!**


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